One of the victims of last Saturday's car crash in Donegal has been buried alongside three of the other young people killed, in St Mary's churchyard, Cockhill.
Charlene O'Connor (21), The Woods, Buncrana, was buried yesterday beside her boyfriend, Gavin Duffy (22), and her friends, Darren Quinn (21) and Rochelle Peoples (21), in a row of four graves. The fifth victim, David Steele (22), Rochelle's boyfriend, was buried in Quigley's Point on Monday.
Charlene had been due to graduate with her brother William from the Letterkenny Institute of Technology on Friday. William and his parents, James and Rosaleen; sisters, Ashling and Noelle; and brother, Henry, hugged each other and sobbed throughout the Requiem Mass.
Hundreds of people from Buncrana and the wider Inishowen peninsula turned out for the funeral yesterday morning and again heard Fr Con McLoughlin say that the number of people who had died in his term of office was akin to watching a generation being taken away.
Fr McLoughlin said Charlene was "an exemplary and talented young woman" who was studying to be a teacher and had looked forward to graduating with her brother, who was studying information technology. She was working part-time in the local supermarket and was hugely respected and liked.
Addressing Charlene's parents, he said: "There are no words that are adequate to even begin to describe the grief in the hearts of the parents and family members as they try to come to terms with the fact that their beautiful, talented, loving, caring daughter is no longer with them."
He said Charlene had been part of the Buncrana accordion band as a young girl and had held a part-time teaching post as she grew older, studying Irish at night to further her career.
Fr John Walsh told the congregation that President Mary McAleese had asked him to pass on her "heartfelt sympathies" to the families and friends of all those killed. Bishop of Derry Dr Séamus Hegarty also sent a message of condolence. He also asked for prayers for the driver of the second car, who was injured.
